Fluorite (ex Ross Lillie) (1,114 grams)

Item Description

An attractive hefty cabinet sized Fluorite specimen from the famous Annabel Lee Mine in southern Illinois. The piece shows a rich grape jelly purple color with robust, sharp cubes that show good gemminess and a bit of "phantom" zoning when backlit. The crystals have a gentle matte luster and measure up to 4.5 cm on edge. No matrix per se, but the back of the piece does feature some golden Calcite and a bit of pocket clay. Now several of the Fluorites are contacted, so there is a bit of damage on the piece, but it still displays nicely and it's a good rock to put on the shelf as the damage doesn't really stand out from a distance. These impressive purple Fluorites were once fairly abundant on the market, and now all but have dried up, so if you've ever wanted one, don't pass it up as fewer and fewer will be available. From a prestigious Midwest collection, accompanied by an old Ross Lillie (North Star Mineral) label stating it was collected in 1994. Specimen weight is 1,114 grams. Valued at $950.